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Reciprocal

Reciprocal

SURS has reciprocity only with other Illinois public retirement systems in determining your eligibility for, and amount of, retirement and survivor benefits. When requesting an estimate or applying for benefits, it is important that you notify SURS if you have participated in another Illinois retirement system. These other systems are:

County Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Cook County

Forest Preserve District Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Cook County

General Assembly Retirement System

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund

Judges’ Retirement System of Illinois

Laborers’ Annuity and Benefit Fund

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Retirement Fund

Municipal Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago

Park Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago

Public School Teachers’ Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago

State Employees’ Retirement System of Illinois

State Teachers’ Retirement System

The Illinois Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act ensures that pension credits remain in the system in which they are earned. You may not transfer your credit from one system to another. You will be entitled to a retirement benefit from each system, and your eligible survivor(s) will qualify for a survivor benefit, if:

You have at least one year of pension credit in each applicable system

Your combined service credit is equal to the longest minimum service requirements of those systems.

Each system will abide by its own law in calculating your retirement or survivor annuity. Your salary from all systems will be considered in determining your average earnings. Each system will apply the benefit formula in effect on the date you last terminated employment with an employer covered by the Reciprocal Act. Therefore, while you are employed with such an employer, your benefit will reflect any liberalizing changes in benefits that are made by all systems in which you have credits.

If you wish to apply for benefits under the Illinois Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act, you should request an application from each employing system at least 60 days before your planned retirement date.